Al-Futtaim Group

Enriching the Blue Rewards loyalty ecosystem

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AFG recognised the opportunity to further elevate its already successful Blue Rewards programme by introducing a new layer of convenience and engagement through digital gift cards.

The objective was to build on the existing success of the loyalty programme by offering customers a seamless way to purchase, activate, and manage gift cards directly within the app they already used and trusted.

The programme needed to be simple, flexible, and secure for consumers, while also providing tangible benefits to retailers and corporate clients. For AFG, the challenge was to ensure that this new feature would drive incremental footfall, expand B2B gifting, and create operational efficiencies.

By integrating gift cards with Blue Rewards, AFG aimed to enhance customer loyalty, encourage repeat visits to Festival City and Festival Plaza, and strengthen its overall retail ecosystem.

Seamless integration of Giftify gift cards

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Giftify partnered with AFG to launch a white-labelled gift card solution embedded directly into the Blue Rewards lifestyle app.

The intention was to increase footfall and sales at tenant retailers across AFG’s flagship destinations, Festival City Mall and Festival Plaza.

Consumers gained the ability to activate cards instantly via app or QR code, check real-time balances, review transaction history, and block, unblock, or archive cards as needed.

On the B2B side, the programme created new opportunities for corporate clients to purchase gift cards as employee or customer rewards, valid across 500+ participating stores spanning fashion, dining, leisure, and essentials.

Operationally, automated merchant reconciliation and reporting reduced administrative burdens for mall management, while the closed-loop model delivered valuable insight into customer behaviour, enabling more targeted promotions and future growth opportunities.

Driving engagement, efficiency, and growth

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The programme has quickly demonstrated strong adoption and positive impact. Customers responded enthusiastically to the ease of in-app activation and the ability to manage their gift cards entirely from a mobile device.

Early data showed a significant rise in digital engagement, with more card activations via online channels, and with retail tenants at Festival City and Festival Plaza benefiting from repeat visits and incremental spend.

The automation of merchant reconciliation has helped to streamline settlement, reducing manual workloads and improving accuracy.

Just months after launch, the initiative is delivering measurable value: simplifying the customer journey, increasing engagement with the Blue Rewards app, strengthening loyalty to AFG destinations, and establishing a foundation for future data-driven marketing and strategic expansion.

Innovation and a true partnership approach

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AFG evaluated multiple providers across technical capability, commercial viability, and long-term scalability. Giftify stood out for three reasons.

First, an innovation-led mindset: rather than simply delivering a card programme, Giftify proposed ways to deepen engagement and extend value beyond a standard gift card offering.

Second, future-proof expandability: Blue connects multiple Al-Futtaim verticals and hubs, so AFG needed a partner whose technology could scale alongside that ambition.

Third, the power of combined data: integrating Giftify's closed-loop insights with Blue's loyalty platform gave AFG full visibility of tenant performance, card usage, spend levels, and gifting behaviour, turning the gift card into a strategic asset for the wider ecosystem.

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